'F' for Fail: States with the Worst Reproductive Health Laws

A state-by-state report card shows why a handful of states earned a big fat "F" for their reproductive health policies.

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The Worst of the Worst

The past year has been particularly brutal for women―especially women who like to make their own medical decisions. Increasingly, state legislatures are willing to devote more of their time and money to hindering women’s abilities to access abortion services, contraception, or even basic medical care.

Kids too are affected by these mandates because they often go hand in hand with laws requiring that sex education courses be replaced by abstinence-only programs, ensuring that teens aren’t left with a modicum of knowledge when it comes to using methods of contraception to protect themselves.

As a response to ongoing debates, the Population Institute released a nationwide report card detailing the country’s best and worst states for reproductive health. Nine states earned an “F." But out of those, six in particular earned scores that are so low, they've been deemed the “Worst of the Worst.” Do you live in one of them? Click through the gallery to find out.

How many reproductive health rights would have to be legislated away in your own state before you considered moving? Let us know in the Comments.

Arizona

The state of Arizona earned its “F” for a lengthy list of reasons, but some of its greatest hits include requiring medically unnecessary vaginal ultrasounds for women seeking abortions; provisions allowing employers to opt out of covering contraception; and family planning clinics that are so underfunded, the total that Arizona spent last year worked out to just $0.06 per woman.

Photo: Brenda Hoffman/Getty Images

Nevada

Nevada rates slightly higher than Arizona because it requires slightly fewer hurtles for women to jump through when seeking an abortion. But the state still earns its failing letter grade. One of the reasons includes its "sex education" curriculum; though its classes discuss sex and even HIV, they aren't required to speak to even mention condoms, let alone explain to students how to use them or any other forms of contraception to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy or disease. That might be why this state has one of the country’s highest rates of teen pregnancy.

Photo: Planned Parenthood

Louisiana

This state not only subjects women to forced vaginal ultrasounds, it specifically requires that they listen to the fetal heartbeat followed by a 24-hour waiting period before accessing abortion services. There are no such mandates for men seeking vasectomies. The state spent exactly $0 last year on family planning clinics.

Photo: Memphs Center for Reproductive Health

Florida

Florida is often the target of criticism from reproductive rights groups that characterize its state government as one that “makes a sport out of legislating women’s healthcare.” Its senate spent 59 days of last year’s session arguing and passing into law anti-abortion initiatives―and strangely banning the word “uterus” from the senate floor even as it argued a bill that would require a woman to look at a picture of her own uterus when seeking abortion services. Florida doesn't carry any laws protecting women's access to emergency contraception or family care clinics. Almost 60 percent of its pregnancies are unintentional.

Photo: Jana Burchum/Getty Images

Mississippi

This state rates as the absolute worst in the nation for, among other reasons, its lack of any law requiring insurance companies to cover contraception; its refusal to enact legislation protecting access to family planning clinics, sex education, or emergency contraception; and the already complex process a woman must endure to secure an abortion now includes a provision preventing the procedure if any fetal heartbeat can be detected. The state's only remaining family planning clinic has been on the ropes for the last year beating back repeated attempts by state politicians demanding its permanent closure.

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